Ashurst Wood Community Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this highly enriching learning environment. They make excellent progress in all areas of learning. The curriculum is ambitious for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. A wide range of stimulating and challenging learning experiences allow children to build and extend their skills. Children learn to problem-solve as they explore a range of everyday objects, such as padlocks and screws. They experiment with what items they need to repair a broken clock. They develop their fine motor skills as they concentrate intently on securing the screws. Children work together and become deeply engaged in their imaginative play. For instance, in the mud kitchen, children follow recipe cards to make pizzas, adding in fresh herbs and mixing them with mud.

Children are extremely happy in the setting and build strong attachments to the nurturing, experienced staff. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They are sociable and confident and form great friendships with each other. Children learn about nature and the world around them. For example, the discovery of a black bird's nest sparks conversation about what birds eat. Children decide they want to make bird feeders and explore the sticky lard and seed with their hands using words such as 'gooey'. Children have ample opportunity to play outdoors. They develop their physical skills in the large garden. For example, they chase each other around the climbing frame, navigating the space to ensure they are safe.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Children's progress is meticulously monitored by the highly skilled staff team. Any gaps in children's learning are identified quickly and strategies are put in place to ensure children make progress. The teaching is of a consistently high quality, leading to children making outstanding progress from their starting points. Children's learning is consolidated through revisiting activities, ensuring knowledge is embedded.
• The manager is extremely successful at reflecting upon the provision. She continuously strives for further improvements. The manager leads the staff team with confidence and has clear expectations. Regular, effective supervision of staff helps to ensure high-quality teaching.
• Staff have ample opportunity to develop professionally. They have access to a wide range of training courses to help build their knowledge and skills even further. The information gained from training is cascaded to the team and helps to inform and embed outstanding practice.
• Developing children's communication skills is a key focus in the pre-school. Staff's interactions with children consistently support them to develop their language. For example, they repeat key words to children to help them remember them. Children take home the 'chatterbox' and fill it with exciting objects from home. They then share what is in the box with other children. This helps children to build their confidence and communication skills.
• Staff plan activities to encourage children's curiosity. For example, children experiment with torches and animal figures to create shadows on the walls. They predict what will happen as the torch is moved further away. Staff introduce mathematical and positional language to the children. The highly effective teaching supports children's school readiness.
• Children are encouraged to be independent. They enjoy helping adults and taking on responsibilities for tasks. For instance, during snack time, children use safe knives to chop and serve the healthy snack of fruit and vegetables for the other children. They are taught techniques to put on their coats independently. Staff have created a 'wow' wall to celebrate children's achievements at home and in the setting. This builds children's self-esteem and confidence and children are rightly proud of their successes.
• Children are taught about different cultures and the setting celebrate diversity. Staff find out about the cultures relevant to the children that attend and ensure their traditions are celebrated. Each week, the children explore the traditional food, music, dance and language of different countries. For example, they make Welsh cakes to share in the setting and learn some Welsh words. Weekly, they also explore a different country learning about the traditional food, music, dance and language of that country.
• The setting excel at working in partnership with parents. Parents report they would not hesitate to recommend the setting. They highly commend the staff team and feel a part of their children's educational experience. Parents report they receive regular feedback and information on how to support their child's learning at home. The setting also work collaboratively with other professionals, sharing information to ensure the best outcomes for all children.
• Children participate in small group activities which help to develop their listening and attention skills. They are reminded to listen carefully to the story before staff ask questions about what they have heard. Children demonstrate high levels of engagement during activities. They sit and listen well. Children understand and follow the rules within the setting and these are consistently reinforced by the staff team.